Documenting Your Collections
Info-Muse Network Documentation Guide

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Research Date (Site Data)

Definition:

Observation:

• This field is used in conjunction with the Site Research Activity and Site Researcher fields.
  Example

  A site evaluated by Bernard Armoudian on July 8, 1989, and where tests were conducted by Julie Bresciano on May 24, 1990

  	Site Research Activity	evaluation; test
  	Research Date	1989-07-08; 1990-05-24
  	Site Researcher	Armoudian, Bernard; Bresciano, Julie

Entry rules:

1. Enter the year of the activity in the form YYYY (Y for "year").
   Example

   	Research Date	1956

2. If the month and day of the activity are known, enter the information in the form YYYY dash MM dash DD, in numbers only (Y for "year," M for "month," D for "day").
   Example

   Pietro Battalio visually identified a site on March 26, 1957.

   	Site Research Activity	visual identification
   	Research Date	1957-03-26
   	Site Researcher	Battalio, Pietro

3. This field will contain several entries if there have been several research activities. Since the earliest activity is the most important, enter the most recent data at the end of the field. Entries should be separated by a semicolon followed by a space.
   Example

   Tests and initial excavations were done at the site by Babeeta Chabra on April 29, 1989, and more excavations were done by Chabra starting May 15, 1990.

   	Site Research Activity	test/excavation; excavation
   	Research Date	1989-04-29; 1990-05-15
   	Site Researcher	Chabra, Babeeta; Chabra, Babeeta

4. If you know that research activities took place on a site before a certain date, enter this date, a space and the abbreviation "P" for "prior to."
   Example

   Several objects from the same site were acquired by your institution before 1957. You therefore assume that excavations were conducted at the site prior to 1957.

   	Site Research Activity	excavation ?
   	Research Date	1957 P
   	Site Researcher	unknown

5. If you are unsure whether your information is correct, include a space and a question mark after the date.
   Example

   A site excavated by Albert Mukele, probably in 1895

   	Site Research Activity	excavation
   	Research Date	1895 ?
   	Site Researcher	Mukele, Albert

6. If you are unable to determine the date despite your research, enter "unknown".
   Example

   A site excavated on an unknown date by an unknown researcher

   	Site Research Activity	excavation
   	Research Date	unknown
   	Site Researcher	unknown